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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28402758">Late Nights</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImmortalHK/pseuds/ImmortalHK'>ImmortalHK</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kirby (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, mentions of eye trauma, this is so self indulgent ZONT READ THIS IT AINT FOR YOUVCUKGCJKG</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:22:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28402758</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImmortalHK/pseuds/ImmortalHK</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Queen Ripple has a habit of traveling to Darkstar</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ripple Star Queen | Fairy Queen/Zero Two</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Late Nights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was dangerous for Ripple to keep doing this. Sneaking off the planet to Darkstar. If anyone caught her, saw where she was going and who she was going to see, she would instantly be branded a traitor. A betrayer of her own people. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster </span>
  </em>
  <span>on par with the monster she held her secret meetings with.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She still found herself striding through the thick black fog, aid kit in hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She gently greeted the various darkmatter children that crowded her. They attacked her several times before, she always wore a smile on her way in and smiles weren’t allowed on Darkstar.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was made clear that she was one of the very few exceptions.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Privacy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>An icy voice spoke from the darkness in front of ripple, and in an instant the children were gone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was in a small, dim room. A man sits on a bed in the middle of it, draped in long white robes, his hair is just as white, and long enough to pool around him as he sits. He only has one good eye, which is a bright ruby red. The socket is covered in bandages and is clearly starting to saturate with blood.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ripple finds him beautiful.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to clean that. It’ll stain” she keeps her voice low and soft. He can’t bear loud noises.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>We don’t need to do anything. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You should not be here and it’s only a matter of time before you return to ripple Star in-“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shhhhh.” Ripple carefully settled herself on the bed. “You’re upset because you’re in pain. Let me help.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t struggle as Ripple cleaned the bloody wound. She didn’t speak. Didn’t chastise him for not taking better care of himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>would. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Once things were further along.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She carefully fitted an adhesive eye patch over his socket. He would quickly need to replace it with bandages again, but it would do for now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Zero?” He was looking away, as he always did during this. “How are you feeling?” Ripple watched his face closely, seeing him struggle to find words that satisfied him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Less painful.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He means </span>
  <em>
    <span>better.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad.” Ripple means that. She smiles and wishes he would do the same. She’s thankful she can ease any of the agony he’s facing. She wants him to be better.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wordlessly, he turns away from her, and lifts his hair until it falls into her lap. Ripple pulls out a comb from her small box of supplies and starts running it through. It catches on tangles for a bit, and even though he doesn’t react, she apologizes for the tug each time. Once she’s satisfied she goes over it with a brush. This is when Zero often allows himself to speak.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do they know you are gone?” He always asks this.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they don’t. I’m allowed to leave my room you know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do they know you’re not on the planet?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No. If they did they wouldn’t look for me here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And if they did?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ripple sighed. “As much as I wish you weren’t this way, I know anyone who searched for me here wouldn’t live to tell the tale.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You are willing to risk your own and your people’s lives to clean wounds that bleed out within an hour of your absence? To </span>
  <em>
    <span>brush hair?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m willing to risk a lot for you, Zero.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zero tensed. “For nothing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“For </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was quiet after that. Ripple put away her brush and started off of the bed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zero took her arm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes…?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ripple was startled by this, yes, but she bit back any reaction. Upsetting him would undo progress.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zero plucked up the comb and took one of Ripples' braids into his hand. Ripple settled herself back into bed and let Zero somewhat clumsily follow the same routine she’d done on him. By the end one could argue her hair was </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>unkempt, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but this clear as day proof of how gentle this </span>
  <em>
    <span>monster </span>
  </em>
  <span>could be.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So I owe you nothing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ripple stood and gathered her things.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be back, please take care of yourself until then.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He glared as well as his one eye would allow, and she struggled to stop from smiling at the way he pouted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ripple gathered herself and lingered a bit. Normally that would be that. She would leave and return the next time she had a chance. This wasn’t a normal night though, was it?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She rounded the bed to face Zero, and gently took his hands in hers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He really was </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Long, pure white hair framing dark, shockingly soft skin. He wasn’t as big as, say, King Dedede, but he was soft and huggable. The soft robes only added to the effect.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She hugged him. Ran her hand through his hair and stayed that way until he pushed her away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked conflicted, confused. His hand lingered on her upper chest until he let it slide to his lap. “.....Your people.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ripple started out, feeling like she’d just undone everything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Have your hair down next time. Undoing those braids is tiresome.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ripple made a sound of agreement and strode home.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was inching ever closer to seeing that man smile.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Darkstar is not one word apparently but I’m too lazy to fix it also hi I’m ashamed</p></blockquote></div></div>
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